Considering Ban on e-cigarettes, Centre tells Delhi High Court
Nicotine addiction through e-cigarettes among young people may lead them to try conventional tobacco products, the Delhi High Court has been informed by the Union health ministry, which said it was considering a ban on the item.
New Delhi, April 22: Nicotine addiction through e-cigarettes among young people may lead them to try conventional tobacco products, the Delhi High Court has been informed by the Union health ministry, which said it was considering a ban on the item.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also told the court that though there are no specific guidelines to deal with new emerging threats such as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes (ECs), several states and Union territories have taken steps to prohibit them.
"The chief constituent of e-cigarettes/ENDS is nicotine, which is addictive. It also has a high level of toxicity and can lead to development of cardiovascular and lung diseases, have adverse effect on the immune and gastrointestinal systems, put a risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, etc," the ministry said in its affidavit.
It said that in the larger interest of public health, the ministry is also "in the process of issuing appropriate guidelines or advisory for regulating, including banning the manufacture, import, sale and any kind of trade in nicotine (other than therapeutic use approved and prescribed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act), or any device such as ENDS or E-cigarettes that enabled its use".
E-cigarettes are hand-held devices which help to create the feeling of tobacco smoking. Various makers of the device say that the e-liquid inside the device heats up when activated and creates an aerosolized vapour which provides a flavour similar to tobacco.